Someone to Talk To
by Weasleylover1
Summary: One-shot set during CoS when Penelope Clearwater's been petrified. Ginny's worried something's wrong with her, that maybe she's in some way connected with the goings on at Hogwarts and the person she wants to talk to is Percy but he's got his own problems


Disclaimer: I just own the plot, but not the parts that are mentioned in the wonderful book CoS.  
  
A/N: This takes place in Harry, Ron and Hermione's second year (So Ginny's first and Percy's sixth) on the night of the attack on Hermione and Penelope Clearwater.  
  
Someone to Talk To  
  
**Emphasis  
  
**Ginny watched in disbelief as her head of house climbed out of the portrait hole, leaving a sombre audience of Gryffindors in her wake.  
  
Hermione and a Ravenclaw prefect were in the hospital wing, petrified like the others. Just like Mrs Norris, like Colin and Justin. And Ginny had no idea where she'd been in the last hour or so. She didn't remember going to the quidditch match like she had intended to and had found herself in the library with no idea as to why. A shout from outside had alerted her to the fact something was wrong but by the time she had reached where the two girls had been found they had already been levitated away and Professor McGonagall had sent her back to the common room to wait for an explanation along with everybody else when they returned from the quidditch pitch.  
  
She now realised she had to speak to someone about what had been happening to her.  
  
Glancing around the room she saw Percy slumped in a chair and was about to go and talk to him when George's voice caught her attention. He was speaking to Harry.  
  
"Percy's in shock. That Ravenclaw girl – Penelope Clearwater – she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."  
  
George's tone was slightly mocking as he gave Percy his and Fred's 'what an idiot' look, generally reserved fort that particular older brother.  
  
Ginny looked across in horror at her brother, no wonder he looked so pale and shaken. She slipped through the knot of people building up around Lee Jordan and extolling the various evils of Slytherin house.  
  
Percy didn't seem to notice as she sat on the floor at his feet. His eyes were closed in what looked like an attempt not to cry but they snapped open as Ginny rested her head against his knee. She looked up at him and gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster under the circumstances. Percy, never one to let down his little sister, managed a weak, watery smile in return, quickly swiping away a renegade tear before anyone else could notice.  
  
The two sat in silence for a further half hour while Percy composed himself enough to be sure of not crying if he spoke. Neither listened to any of the conversations around them and no one else seemed to notice the two red heads sat so quietly at the side of the bustling and busier than usual, due to the new curfew, common room.  
  
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Ginny looked up. Percy had leaned forward and tapped her shoulder to get her attention, "Thanks Gin," he muttered before standing and walking towards the staircase leading up to the boys' dormitories. She leapt to her feet and raced after him, grabbing his hand as he started up the stairs.  
  
"Perce? Can I talk to you?"  
  
Percy looked as though if it had been anyone else he would have said no, but he had always found it difficult to say no to his sister.  
  
"Of course you can, Ginny. You want to talk upstairs without Fred and George to interrupt?"  
  
Ginny knew what he really meant was 'without Fred and George to listen in and cause trouble', Percy and the twins had never really got along well but for once Ginny had no more desire to deal with their jokes and wind ups than Percy had. She nodded, gratefully.  
  
Percy led the way slowly up to his dormitory, his footsteps dull and heavy against the stone stairs, Ginny clinging to his hand in an attempt to offer support.  
  
She had expected the sixth year boys' dormitory to be deserted but a morose looking Oliver Wood was lying on his front on one of the beds, flipping the pages of a quidditch magazine. He looked up as the two Weasleys stepped inside.  
  
"They cancelled quidditch," he said in a shocked tone.  
  
Percy looked as though he'd dealt with this sort of thing before. "Only temporarily," he pointed out.  
  
Oliver didn't seem to hear; "We were so close, just like last year before Potter had to go play the hero and desert us in the final. Why do these things keep happening?"  
  
Percy looked torn between amusement, exasperation and genuine sympathy for the quidditch captain's woebegone appearance. "Oliver quidditch'll be back on before you know it."  
  
The other boy looked up hopefully at his dorm mate, "You really think so?"  
  
"Of course," Percy cringed internally at lying to him but there was no point in simply upsetting him further. "Why don't you go down to the common room and take your mind off things?"  
  
Oliver nodded and rolled off the bed, knocking a pillow and his magazine to the floor, "Thanks Percy, you always know what to say." Oliver looked at Ginny suddenly and smiled, "Hello Ginny, you alright kid?"  
  
She nodded quietly and tried to smile. Oliver seemed to notice she wasn't happy though, "Don't be frightened," his voice was quieter and more gentle, "You'll be alright. Whatever it is out there your big brother'll look after you." He gave Percy a friendly slap on the back that Percy didn't seem to appreciate much if the way he instinctively smoothed his jumper was any indication. "See you later," Oliver barrelled out of the room with his usual energy, his good humour somewhat restored.  
  
After the quidditch captain had left Ginny perched on the edge of Percy's bed as he set about tidying away Oliver's magazine and discarded pillow and straightening his quilt.  
  
Ginny remained silent, wondering where to begin. _How about with the fact you keep blacking out around the times of these attacks and waking up in places with no memory of how you got there?_ A nasty little voice inside her head suggested snidely.  
  
'Percy would understand me,' she thought determinedly, 'he always understands.'  
  
_Yes I'm sure the light will dawn almost at once and he'll see exactly what you've been up to, after that I'm sure he'll simply kick himself for all the concern he's been heaping on you all year.  
  
_'Percy will know what to do, he's my brother and he'll help me no matter what's going on.' She shook herself, 'That's why I came to speak to him in the first place, because he always listens and he never teases me like Fred and George do.'  
  
And how do you think he'll feel once he finds out you might have been the one to attack his girlfriend? Think he'll still be so willing to listen then?  
  
'Maybe,' Ginny thought weakly. She looked across at her brother, he had his back to her and was making quite a meal out of re-arranging Oliver's quilt. He didn't seem to have noticed her silence.  
  
"Percy?"  
  
He stopped fiddling with the edge of the quilt but didn't turn around, "What is it Gin?" His voice sounded different, weak and uncertain.  
  
Ginny slipped from her seat on the bed and walked over to him. She saw, with no small amount of horror, he had started to cry. Silent tears were coursing down his pale, freckled face. Percy never cried, at least not that Ginny had ever seen. He saw her watching and instantly began wiping away the tears, "I'm sorry, Ginny..."  
  
Ginny took hold of his hand between her own and squeezed it, not really knowing what to say. "It's ok Percy, everyone cries, why shouldn't **you**?"  
  
As though he had been waiting for permission, Percy gave a quiet sob and sank to the floor, covering his face with his hands.  
  
Ginny sat next to him, putting her thin arms around his shaking form. He hugged her and the two sat in silence, embracing each other until Percy's tears dried up a little.  
  
Wracked with guilt that she might have been the one to cause her brother this pain, Ginny felt a few tears of her own escape. After a moment she felt a gentle hand wiping a soft handkerchief across her face. "I'm sorry Gin, I didn't mean to upset you." He passed her the handkerchief and she accepted it gratefully, sniffing quietly and resting her head against his shoulder.  
  
"You didn't upset me, it's just everything that's been going on lately..." Ginny trailed off, wondering how to carry on, how could she tell him everything she'd intended to?  
  
"What did you want to talk about?" Percy asked her, "Was it to do with all this?" He continued when she failed to answer him, "Are you alright? You've been so pale lately and you haven't seemed yourself for most of this year, what's going on?"  
  
He suspected her! She squashed the ridiculous idea immediately; Percy was just worried about her. He certainly looked worried, his blue eyes were tired and bloodshot from crying and the stress and concern so evident on his face was painful to see.  
  
She couldn't do it. How could she place another burden on him now? How could she be that selfish?  
  
She forced a smile, "I'm fine Percy, really I just wanted to talk to you to see if you were ok."  
  
Percy gave his first genuine smile of the evening, "Thanks, Ginny."  
  
His smile helped to dispel the guilt she felt at lying to her brother.  
  
"Do you mind if I stay here for a while?"  
  
"Of course not, I'd love your company. I need to finish an essay for tomorrow though so you'll have to entertain yourself."  
  
"Oh I don't mind that," Ginny said quickly, she just wanted to stay there with her brother where she felt safe.  
  
Percy immersed himself in his work feeling emotionally exhausted, he pushed all his sadness, pain and fear aside though and focused on the essay before him.  
  
The light had grown faint before he finished. He glanced around to see Ginny curled up on his bed asleep.  
  
He was tidying away his parchment and books when Oliver Wood came back into the room.  
  
Oliver took one look at his roommate and instantly knew something was wrong. His eyes looked a little bloodshot and he could just make out what looked like tear tracks on his cheeks when he turned his face towards the candle on the desk he'd been working at. "Hiya Percy, you alright?"  
  
Percy nodded, "Fine thanks." He glanced towards Ginny," I better get her off to bed." He moved across the room to go to wake her but Oliver placed a strong hand on his arm to stop him.  
  
"That Ravenclaw prefect? Did you know her well?"  
  
For one ridiculous moment Percy considered answering the question honestly, telling him the whole story. He wanted someone to talk to so badly but, as always, he withdrew from opening up and withdrew from the physical contact by stepping away from Oliver and towards his sleeping sister.  
  
"I only know her a little," Percy wouldn't make the mistake of saying knew, "Really, Oliver, I'm fine."  
  
Oliver shrugged in mild frustration and Percy found himself adding sincerely, "Thank you for the concern."  
  
Oliver gave him a smile, "Anytime."  
  
Percy smiled back briefly before gently shaking Ginny awake. "Come on Ginny, you need to go to bed."  
  
She sat up sleepily and pushed herself to her feet, yawning and rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Goodnight Ginny," Oliver called as they left the dormitory.  
  
"Goodnight Oliver."  
  
Percy took his sister down into the common room, which was still pretty full as it was not yet half past eleven. The other boys from his and Oliver's year passed him on their way upstairs and smiled in passing. He saw Ginny to the foot of the girl's staircase and gave her a quick hug.  
  
"Go to bed Ginny. It'll all look better in the morning."  
  
Ginny nodded and disappeared up the staircase with a smile and a brief, "Goodnight Perce."  
  
Up in the sixth year boys' dormitory Oliver was chuckling at Percy's neatness, having noticed that the other boy had straightened his bed and put his magazine away. Percy always seemed to be cleaning up after his dorm mates.  
  
Oliver frowned, worried that the prefect seemed so unhappy, and determined to speak with him when he came back up, after all no one else seemed that close to him.  
  
However, almost as he'd decided this the rest of their dorm mates came into the room. Oliver knew he would never be able to get Percy to talk in front of everyone and so was forced to let it go, merely giving the tired looking red head a friendly smile when he came up to bed a few minutes later.  
  
Percy returned Oliver's smile, grateful for his silence. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep and pretend that what he'd said to Ginny was true and that it really would all look better in the morning.  
  
In the first year girls dormitory Ginny was lying in bed. Away from her brother all her fears had come flooding back. If she couldn't even talk to Percy then who could she talk to?  
  
She slipped a hand under her pillow and removed a small black diary dated from fifty years before. Despite the reservations that had been growing within her with regards to the book, she felt almost drawn to use it. After all she needed someone to talk to and Tom had always listened so sympathetically. She drew the curtains around her bed and put her quill to the page.  
  
Dear Tom...  
  
XXXXXXX

* * *

A/N: If you're interested this is just the pre-curser to a longer story I'm writing about Percy, the first chapter of which should be up next week. It'll start in the summer after the events of the fifth book.  
  
Also, it seems you do want a sequel to Shades of Grey so I shall endeavour to write one and get it out when I can, I'll keep you posted on it.  
  
Now you know I love to know what you think so why not drop me a review.   
  
Thanks by the way to those people who reviewed 'Neon Hair Shades', I'm glad you liked it! 


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